Intro & Me: I’ve been buying IEMs and audio gear for a few years now and it is safe to say I have an addiction. So with that out of the way, let’s dive right into these wallet-friendly earphones this time around! Musical genres that I like are pop, electronic, blues, jazz, rock and country, so you could say that I enjoy everything for the most part. I enjoy writing reviews because let’s face it: head-fi isn’t as much fun if you just buy gear, use it, love it, and don’t get to write or post about it! So I am here today to offer some thoughts on the “Whizzer” A15 IEM.
Test Equipment: For these IEMs, I primarily used my LG V20 and my iPhone 7 Plus connected to both my Chord Mojo and my Centrance DACport HD. This gave me a pretty good idea of how they sound given that those sources range from bright and analytical (V20) to warm and musical (DACport HD).
The IEMs and What’s In the Box: I bought these from my favorite store on AliExpress called NiceHCK. I have been buying gear from Jim for a while now and he’s always been great. I actually was buying some other IEMs, the Simgot EN700 Bass, and he suggested these to me saying they were getting very positive reviews. I decided for $69, why not give them a try. The packaging and presentation of this IEM is rather nice for the price point and I’ve gotten less for much, much more money from other manufacturers. These come with a wide array of tips, a nice leather-like carrying case and some other other goodies. Here is a link to read more about the IEMs and purchase them if you wish: https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/2016-New-RWhizzer-A15-In-Ear-Earphone-HIFI-Earphone-Metal-Earphone-Headset-Tri-frequencies-Equalization-With/1825606_32786673635.html
In a nutshell, these are single dynamic driver earphones which use a standard MMCX cable connection. The cable is of great quality, being covered in fabric and resisting tangles pretty well. The memory wire over the ears is very soft and easy to flex into a comfortable position. And that leads me to my next point, comfort. One thing to note is that they are only 98dB on the sensitivity side, so they are more suited to something with decent power. If powered by a mobile device, I would say iPhone does fine with them. But if your headphone output is on the low side, you may find yourself wishing for more volume.
Comfort: These IEMs are incredibly comfortable and very much remind me of the shape of the MEE Audio Pinnacle P1. That is a good thing as I found those to be incredibly comfortable. These have actually become my go-to workout IEMs because I don’t even feel them in my ears. I have absolutely no complaints on the ergonomics.
Sound: The sound signature of the A15 is warm, musical and non-fatiguing. I would not call these “reference” IEMs, but rather a very pleasant consumer sound signature on the warmer side. I love them for long listening sessions because of their comfort and non-harsh sound. You can tell that some careful thought went into the tuning on these and if a lush, warm sound is what you are after then I think you will be very pleased with these.
Bass: The bass on the A15 can reach thunderous levels depending on your source, volume and whether or not the music calls for it. I would call the bass on the warm, elevated side and can very slightly become over-powering at times depending on your kind of music. Now keep in mind I am borderline basshead, so I love this sound and have no complaints. Most of head-fi, however, seem to prefer neutral and accurate bass so this is definitely on the Norther side of that. Being a larger dynamic driver, the bass is relaxed and not the fastest or the tightest, but like I said it is a warm almost euphoric like experience and I very much enjoy it.
Mids: Mids on the A15 do what they are supposed to in a very clean, detailed and behaved manner. Vocals on the A15 are lush, if a bit of a step back from the mid-bass. On music like Eric Clapton for example, the vocals are very smooth and plenty detailed. Guitars and other stringed instruments have good character and sound very pleasing. These are not eeking out every last drop of detail in the mids, but I do not consider that a drawback depending on your musical preferences.
Highs: Treble on the A15, while somewhat smoothed and recessed, is very pleasant and textured. Like I said, these are very musical IEMs and you can listen to them for hours on end and the treble plays no small part in that. You will not find any sibilance here, but instead just a nice, smooth treble that is energetic enough if the music calls for it. The details are there, it’s just that the treble doesn’t shout or become fatiguing in the least.
Detail and Separation: I find that the A15, for the price, have a great amount of detail in their presentation. Instruments are clearly separated and while something like the Pinnacle P1 provides more clarity, the A15 wins in a musical and laid-back sense. It’s really hard to complain about the amount of detail here for $69 and keeping the price in mind, I’m very impressed with what these IEMs can do. The dynamic driver is obviously very coherent and has been tuned with precision. A pretty darn nice showing.
Bluetooth MMCX Cable: As I mentioned, the A15 has become my go-to workout IEM for morning jogs and at the gym. I find normal cables to be extremely clumsy in that environment, so I also obtained a Bluetooth MMCX cable from the nice folks at NiceHCK which can be seen here: https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/2017-New-NiceHCK-HB1-Wireless-Bluetooth-4-1-Earphone-Upgrade-Cable-MMCX-Cable-Support-For-Aptx/1825606_32789274984.html?spm=2114.12010615.0.0.xZCkX9
Honestly, the pairing of the A15 and this MMCX cable has been absolutely outstanding. I have never been a believer in Bluetooth because of extra batteries to charge, loss of details, etc. but all of my concerns were wrong and I am very glad I have revisited things in 2017. I cannot say enough good things about this cable and for a mere $49, it has brought new life to my A15s. I have at the time of writing, over 15 pairs of IEMs and I hate to say it, but the A15 might only get worn once or twice a week with the normal cable. Nothing wrong with the normal cable at all, but, I have a ton of wired earphones. Now, with the MMCX cable, I am able to get the same fantastic sound quality I am used to with wired headphones and the comfort of wires not flailing all over the place. Sure, the battery life is only somewhere around four hours, but for my use case this cable is just awesome. It’s also got a rather powerful amp, so it works very well with the A15. Consider this pairing if you want great sound quality, but don’t want to spend a fortune.
Conclusion: I am really impressed with these A15 IEMs from Whizzer. It’s pretty incredible to see what you can get for significantly less than $100 in the quality department. These punch well above their price point. They provide a pleasant, musical, fun and engaging sound and they do it in a very nice looking package with above average build quality. To think that you can enjoy music on this level for years to come at this price point I would have thought impossible a few years ago. Truth be told, I think these sound even better than the Simgot EN700 (at least much more fun) which I was originally purchasing when Jim told me about these. I don’t think anyone will find any major complaints with the A15. For me, it’s probably the best budget IEM (budget in a relative sense) I have ever tested. They are definitely here to stay and they put a smile on my face when I put them on every morning to go for a run. Very, very well done.
Test Equipment: For these IEMs, I primarily used my LG V20 and my iPhone 7 Plus connected to both my Chord Mojo and my Centrance DACport HD. This gave me a pretty good idea of how they sound given that those sources range from bright and analytical (V20) to warm and musical (DACport HD).
The IEMs and What’s In the Box: I bought these from my favorite store on AliExpress called NiceHCK. I have been buying gear from Jim for a while now and he’s always been great. I actually was buying some other IEMs, the Simgot EN700 Bass, and he suggested these to me saying they were getting very positive reviews. I decided for $69, why not give them a try. The packaging and presentation of this IEM is rather nice for the price point and I’ve gotten less for much, much more money from other manufacturers. These come with a wide array of tips, a nice leather-like carrying case and some other other goodies. Here is a link to read more about the IEMs and purchase them if you wish: https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/2016-New-RWhizzer-A15-In-Ear-Earphone-HIFI-Earphone-Metal-Earphone-Headset-Tri-frequencies-Equalization-With/1825606_32786673635.html
In a nutshell, these are single dynamic driver earphones which use a standard MMCX cable connection. The cable is of great quality, being covered in fabric and resisting tangles pretty well. The memory wire over the ears is very soft and easy to flex into a comfortable position. And that leads me to my next point, comfort. One thing to note is that they are only 98dB on the sensitivity side, so they are more suited to something with decent power. If powered by a mobile device, I would say iPhone does fine with them. But if your headphone output is on the low side, you may find yourself wishing for more volume.
Comfort: These IEMs are incredibly comfortable and very much remind me of the shape of the MEE Audio Pinnacle P1. That is a good thing as I found those to be incredibly comfortable. These have actually become my go-to workout IEMs because I don’t even feel them in my ears. I have absolutely no complaints on the ergonomics.
Sound: The sound signature of the A15 is warm, musical and non-fatiguing. I would not call these “reference” IEMs, but rather a very pleasant consumer sound signature on the warmer side. I love them for long listening sessions because of their comfort and non-harsh sound. You can tell that some careful thought went into the tuning on these and if a lush, warm sound is what you are after then I think you will be very pleased with these.
Bass: The bass on the A15 can reach thunderous levels depending on your source, volume and whether or not the music calls for it. I would call the bass on the warm, elevated side and can very slightly become over-powering at times depending on your kind of music. Now keep in mind I am borderline basshead, so I love this sound and have no complaints. Most of head-fi, however, seem to prefer neutral and accurate bass so this is definitely on the Norther side of that. Being a larger dynamic driver, the bass is relaxed and not the fastest or the tightest, but like I said it is a warm almost euphoric like experience and I very much enjoy it.
Mids: Mids on the A15 do what they are supposed to in a very clean, detailed and behaved manner. Vocals on the A15 are lush, if a bit of a step back from the mid-bass. On music like Eric Clapton for example, the vocals are very smooth and plenty detailed. Guitars and other stringed instruments have good character and sound very pleasing. These are not eeking out every last drop of detail in the mids, but I do not consider that a drawback depending on your musical preferences.
Highs: Treble on the A15, while somewhat smoothed and recessed, is very pleasant and textured. Like I said, these are very musical IEMs and you can listen to them for hours on end and the treble plays no small part in that. You will not find any sibilance here, but instead just a nice, smooth treble that is energetic enough if the music calls for it. The details are there, it’s just that the treble doesn’t shout or become fatiguing in the least.
Detail and Separation: I find that the A15, for the price, have a great amount of detail in their presentation. Instruments are clearly separated and while something like the Pinnacle P1 provides more clarity, the A15 wins in a musical and laid-back sense. It’s really hard to complain about the amount of detail here for $69 and keeping the price in mind, I’m very impressed with what these IEMs can do. The dynamic driver is obviously very coherent and has been tuned with precision. A pretty darn nice showing.
Bluetooth MMCX Cable: As I mentioned, the A15 has become my go-to workout IEM for morning jogs and at the gym. I find normal cables to be extremely clumsy in that environment, so I also obtained a Bluetooth MMCX cable from the nice folks at NiceHCK which can be seen here: https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/2017-New-NiceHCK-HB1-Wireless-Bluetooth-4-1-Earphone-Upgrade-Cable-MMCX-Cable-Support-For-Aptx/1825606_32789274984.html?spm=2114.12010615.0.0.xZCkX9
Honestly, the pairing of the A15 and this MMCX cable has been absolutely outstanding. I have never been a believer in Bluetooth because of extra batteries to charge, loss of details, etc. but all of my concerns were wrong and I am very glad I have revisited things in 2017. I cannot say enough good things about this cable and for a mere $49, it has brought new life to my A15s. I have at the time of writing, over 15 pairs of IEMs and I hate to say it, but the A15 might only get worn once or twice a week with the normal cable. Nothing wrong with the normal cable at all, but, I have a ton of wired earphones. Now, with the MMCX cable, I am able to get the same fantastic sound quality I am used to with wired headphones and the comfort of wires not flailing all over the place. Sure, the battery life is only somewhere around four hours, but for my use case this cable is just awesome. It’s also got a rather powerful amp, so it works very well with the A15. Consider this pairing if you want great sound quality, but don’t want to spend a fortune.
Conclusion: I am really impressed with these A15 IEMs from Whizzer. It’s pretty incredible to see what you can get for significantly less than $100 in the quality department. These punch well above their price point. They provide a pleasant, musical, fun and engaging sound and they do it in a very nice looking package with above average build quality. To think that you can enjoy music on this level for years to come at this price point I would have thought impossible a few years ago. Truth be told, I think these sound even better than the Simgot EN700 (at least much more fun) which I was originally purchasing when Jim told me about these. I don’t think anyone will find any major complaints with the A15. For me, it’s probably the best budget IEM (budget in a relative sense) I have ever tested. They are definitely here to stay and they put a smile on my face when I put them on every morning to go for a run. Very, very well done.